Planning forGrowth

North East Lincolnshire

Consultation Draft

Local Plan

Executive Summary

We have great natural assets that we need

to nurture and protect for the enjoyment of

future generations. They equally form part

of the quality of place we offer our residents

and visitors, making the borough a great

place to live and bring up our families.

Our Local Plan is being prepared

at a time when there is a genuine

opportunity to deliver major

economic growth over the next

15 to 20 years. The challenge is to

capture this potential and ensure

that it makes for more prosperous

communities. Our Local Plan will

play a pivotal role in promoting and

directing growth in a positive and

sustainable way, creating places

that we are proud and enjoy being

part of.

We are fortunate to enjoy a location at the

mouth of the Humber and North Sea which

presents a worldwide gateway for trade and

business. This geography is once again

providing new opportunities in the offshore

wind sector as well as providing an ongoing

platform for strong industrial sectors including

seafood, ports and logistics, energy and

chemicals and processing. In addition to the

Humber Estuary, we offer a complete contrast

with the seaside town of Cleethorpes and a

rural hinterland that includes part of the

Lincolnshire Wolds Area of Outstanding

Natural Beauty.

We therefore have a place of great history

and quality that we should celebrate, and

tell others about.

Introduction

2

This is your consultation draft Local Plan. We

want your views to help us prepare a revised

plan that can be submitted to government in

the autumn of 2015. It is really important that

you tell us what you think about our proposals

and what you would perhaps do differently.

North East Lincolnshire has

entered a truly exciting period

where a real step change in

its economic fortunes can be

achieved. Our Local Plan is

about capturing and shaping this

economic opportunity, planning

for growth to 2032 and beyond.

It will therefore play a key role

in delivering our ambition for a

stronger economy and stronger

communities.

Planning for Growth

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Introduction by

Cllr David Watson -

Portfolio Holder for

Environment and HousingGood progress will have been made to make

North East Lincolnshire a forward-looking

borough where aspirations have been raised

and gaps narrowed in terms of social

inequality, whether caused by health,

education, age, disability, ethnicity, location

or other aspects. Housing initiatives will

have successfully revitalised areas of low

housing demand, and steps taken to lift

housing delivery to support economic growth,

recognising the need to provide housing to

address demographic change, and prospects

for economic growth, whilst providing choice

within the housing market. Town centres will

be successful, having developed their offer to

support growth.

Environmental quality will be a source of

pride, aspiration and confidence. The special

character, biodiversity and distinctiveness of

the borough will continue to be protected and

enhanced.

A commitment will have been demonstrated

to address the causes and consequences of

climate change, including bringing about an

overall reduction in the proportion of properties

at risk from flooding.

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Our Vision

By 2032 North East Lincolnshire will be nationally

and internationally recognised as a centre for

offshore renewables, focusing on operations and

maintenance, and as a location with key sector growth

In food, energy, chemicals and ports, and logistics. Growth

in these sectors will be matched by a strong tourism, leisure

and retail offer. This economic growth will be evident through increased jobs and

diversity of skills, providing a platform for sustainable economic growth, creating

conditions to capture and sustain more and better jobs in the area. This will be

supported by measures that enable people to access jobs by removing barriers to

participation. This includes the establishment of facilities to improve education and

skills and address housing needs and affordability as well as health and service

needs including countering deprivation issues in specific wards.

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Our Vision

Strategic Green Infrastructure Corridors

Achieving the Vision

To meet the spatial vision for the borough we need to define our strategic objectives. These are set out below

and provide the framework for our policies. Each objective will identify a set of key critical success factors

which will provide a mechanism for measuring success in implementation and delivery. The key strategic

objectives for the Local Plan are:

SO1 Population To meet development needs and facilitate

economic development. Managing and

accommodating future population growth

and demographic change, seeking to retain

the working age population and manage the

consequences of a general ageing population

whilst providing employment growth

in line with local economic expectations.

SO2 Climate change To address the causes and effects of climate

change by considering the overall distribution of

development, minimising use of natural resources

and energy use, reducing waste, encouraging

reuse and recycling, reducing pollution, promoting

sustainable transport choices, responding to

an increase threat of flood risk and promoting

sustainable construction practices. Includes

recognising the importance of green infrastructure

as a means of mitigating aspects of flood risk and

the increased stress on habitats and species as a

consequence of climate change.

SO3 Economy To support the growth of the local economic

sectors in ways which are compatible with

environmental objectives, creating conditions

and securing infrastructure that create and

sustain more and better jobs, remove barriers to

investment and the barriers to accessing jobs and

raise skills, including support for rural regeneration

and diversification, including strengthening the

tourism offer.

SO4 Housing To boost housing supply to meet the existing

and future housing needs of all the community.

Including high-quality market and affordable

housing, special needs housing and gypsy

and travellers accommodation; specifically

identifying a balanced supply of deliverable sites

to achieve as a minimum, the identified overall

housing target.

SO5 Social and health inequality To narrow the gap in terms of social and health

inequality, addressing issues of housing choice,

working and training opportunities, promoting

healthier lifestyles, improving educational

attainment and cultural facilities, and the

establishment protection, and maintenance of

a network of accessible good quality open

space, sport and recreation facilities. 6

Achieving the Vision

SO6 Built, Historic and Natural Environment To safeguard and enhance the quality of the built,

historic and natural environment and ensure that

the development needs of the Borough are met

in a way which minimises the adverse effects on

these assets.

SO7 Transport To strive to improve accessibility to jobs and

services, where possible reducing the overall

need to travel and make it safer and more

convenient to access jobs and services by use

of public transport, cycling and walking; and

provide the necessary infrastructure to support

sustainable growth.

SO8 Town centres and local facilities To strengthen the vitality and viability of town

centres, meeting the needs for retail, commercial

and leisure uses, focusing appropriated uses on

town centre sites, promote regeneration where

appropriate and support the retention of local

community and service facilities.

SO9 Design To raise the quality of developments, based upon

the principles of good sustainable and inclusive

design, promoting safe, secure and accessible

streets and places, and recognising the importance

of supporting and strengthening local character and

distinctiveness.

SO10 Minerals and Waste

To safeguard important minerals resources and

supporting minerals infrastructure for the future;

and promote the management of waste further up

the waste hierarchy, delivering sustainable facilities

to manage waste.

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Stronger Economy, Stronger Communities

Our role in the region is very clear and very important. Our ports,

energy, chemical and food sectors are of national and regional

significance. We need to ensure we provide the right conditions for

their growth, which will provide opportunities for other local businesses

supplying and supporting companies in these sectors. We play a pivotal

role in delivering the potential of the ‘Energy Estuary’, working with

partners in all sectors across the Humber. Equally, the trade links

across Lincolnshire in the agri-food sector will be further exploited.

We have great diversity in the quality of

our landscapes, from the seaside to the

Lincolnshire Wolds Area of Outstanding

Natural Beauty, which includes attractive

villages surrounding the urban areas of

Cleethorpes and Grimsby.

Our Local Plan recognises the

important part played by these

natural and built features in the

quality and distinctiveness

of North East

Lincolnshire.

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Creating a stronger local economy is directly

linked to creating stronger communities.

Our Local Plan focuses on promoting

sustainable economic growth and creating

new employment opportunities whilst

protecting the natural environment.

We are a key partner to both the Greater

Lincolnshire Enterprise Partnership (Greater

Lincolnshire LEP) and the Humber Local

Enterprise Partnership (Humber LEP). These

partnerships drive forward and focus economic

growth, whilst also capturing investment into and

support for the region. Both LEPs recognise the

economic potential of our area. Our Local Plan

aims to realise this potential.

In 2012 we set out our economic vision for the

borough in a Development and Growth Plan.

It highlights the importance of the employment

sectors to the local economy, within which a

third of all employees work and 60% of the

borough’s wealth (measured as Gross

Domestic Product) is generated.

The key sectors are:

• Ports and logistics

• Food processing

• Chemicals and process industries

• Visitor economy and retail

• Housing and development

There is real optimism in these key sectors for

growth based on evidence from businesses

wishing to locate here. We have seen recent

major investments here by global companies

such as Morrisons, Centrica, Eon, Siemens

and DONG Energy. The renewables sector now

has a strong presence in the Port of Grimsby

for operations and maintenance activities.

Companies including DONG Energy benefit from

its close proximity to their North Sea wind farms.

We have undertaken detailed analysis of the

borough’s key industrial sectors in order to

assess their growth potential. Based upon this

evidence the plan sets out an ambition and

strategy to create 8,800 jobs by 2032.

Given how vital these sectors are to the area’s

economic future, they need to be supported

with the right environment to grow. Our Local

Plan 2003 allocated a plentiful supply of land

for industrial development, but apart from the

successful development of Europarc there

has been limited new development of other

industrial sites over the last ten years. Analysis

shows that this has been in part due to the

environmental and infrastructure constraints

which have made investment uneconomic.

Employment

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Our Local Plan will play a crucial part in

delivering economic growth by ensuring there

is a good supply and choice of developable

sites that are available in the right locations and

are supported by relevant infrastructure, whilst

recognising and addressing environmental

constraints.

The focus of meeting our employment land

requirements will continue to be upon the south

Humber bank between the Ports of Immingham

and Grimsby. Our key strategic employment

sites are proposed at:

Europarc

Sites located close to the East Gate

of the Port of Immingham

Great Coates Industrial Park

(former Accordis site)

Former Huntsman Tioxide site

Stallingborough Interchange

The local economy however is not without some

weaknesses and challenges. Some of our

inner urban areas have high levels of long-term

unemployment compared to the national average.

The low level of skills within the workforce hinders

business growth and means local people find it

difficult to secure well paid jobs. However, local

training and education providers are now starting

to bridge the gap between the skills needed and

the training made available to local people. In

response to this, we intend through our Local Plan

to encourage developers and investors to positively

contribute towards local employment, skills and

training. We will also support proposals that relate

directly to the development of local skills and

training opportunities, with a focus on

existing facilities and town centre locations.

This includes aligning the plan with the investment

plans and strategies of further education and

training providers within the borough and

across the region.

Our Local Plan also has a wider contribution to

ensure that there is an appropriate and attractive

supply of housing, cultural, retail and leisure

opportunities and that the overall quality of the

environment and quality of life is very attractive.

As a consequence, we will convince workers to

stay here and encourage people moving to the

area to work to choose to live here.

It is evident that improvements to the economic

prosperity of an area can generate a range of

benefits, including: lower levels of unemployment,

business growth which results in higher demand

for business premises, healthier local people and

a more buoyant housing market. Places which are

economically prosperous also generally have more

active and vibrant town and village centres because

people have more disposable income to spend.

Employment

10

Our analysis of the local commercial property

market reveals that the accommodation available

is generally of poor quality. There is also a shortage

of larger industrial and small starter units.

As a consequence of the relatively poor commercial

market there has been a lack of speculative

development which means that the offer to investors

is limited to old, outdated accommodation. In

addition, there is a lack of local sites immediately

developable for employment purposes owing to

environmental and infrastructure constraints. Our

Local Plan aims to positively address these issues.

We will support, for employment uses, the re-use of

vacant or derelict sites within our urban areas. This

will be subject to the impacts of the development

(e.g. traffic and environmental) being acceptable.

Offices located within or at the edge of town centres

can bring much needed vibrancy to these places

because employees and business visitors often

choose to spend their money and time, and use

hotels, close to places of employment.

Locally though, our office market is weak and is

also often located in places peripheral to our town

centres. We intend to support and steer new office

development to our town centres, given the wider

advantages this delivers. As a consequence, so as

to support this ‘town centre first’ approach, we will

require any larger office development proposals

(over 500 sq.m.), outside our town centres to

demonstrate that no town or edge-of-centre sites

are available. There will of course be exceptions

to this because office development is sometimes

required as an ancillary activity to industrial

operations.

We will support essential rural development in the

countryside that strengthens rural communities

by meeting local social and economic needs.

We recognise, however, that some development,

such as that related to farming, horticulture, waste

management and mineral extraction, cannot

be located within settlements. We will though

expect development proposals to carefully and

thoroughly consider their impact. Development will

be expected to retain and preferably strengthen

the character of our villages and their surrounding

landscapes. This is of particular importance within

and adjacent to the Lincolnshire Wolds Area of

Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Employment

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The significant local economic potential has

already been highlighted. Consequently, it is

appropriate to plan for growth to maximise its

benefits for local residents and businesses.

A key component of this is that we plan for the

right number of homes and that they are built at

the right time, so as to match this aspiration for

economic growth.

The number of new homes we must plan for is also

influenced by changes in the existing population,

such as birth and death rates. Migration into or out

of our area is also relevant. Household sizes, and

what these are likely to be in the future, are another

factor, as is the level of commuting into and out of

the borough. These factors have all been analysed.

We are required to specifically assess the local

need for housing and then plan for its delivery.

While previously this figure was set at a national

level and targets set for each region, this is no

longer the case.

There is though a

wealth of information

and guidance nationally

to support us in assessing

our local need, all of which has been reviewed

and considered in our work. In addition, specific

detailed technical work was completed to inform

the calculation of the borough’s housing need.

We have identified several future options for

housing need, including taking into account

the ambition to create 8,800 jobs.

Our preferred housing option is that we plan to

accommodate at least 9,996 homes between

2014 and 2032, but with sufficient flexibility to

accommodate increased growth (potentially in

excess of 13,000 new homes).

Working with landowners and developers we have

identified sites with the potential to deliver new

homes. This provides some choice over which

sites should be developed for housing and which

should not be. Historically, we have also seen a

large volume of housing development on sites not

previously identified (so called ‘windfall’ sites).

We have examined this issue in detail and consider

it reasonable to plan for 1,235 windfall dwellings

over the plan period.

Housing

Our Local Plan has an important role to play in providing a

supply of homes to meet our growing needs. To achieve this

we must identify a wide range of attractive sites for development,

within and adjoining existing urban areas, and make provision

for the expansion of some settlements. Deciding how many

new homes are needed and where they should be built is a

fundamental task for our Local Plan.

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Our preferred approach would see 62% of new

homes built in and on the fringes of our urban

areas, and 28% built in and on the fringes of

our ‘arc’ settlements (Healing, Laceby,

Waltham, New Waltham and Humberston).

A further 8% would be built in or on the fringes

of Immingham, and the remaining 2% would

be built in or on the fringes of our rural villages.

Our need for housing is significant, and our

preferred option would see many brownfield

sites allocated.

However, our need for new homes cannot

be met from brownfield sites alone, and as

a consequence, many greenfield sites are

required to ensure we meet our need.

Our plan directs new housing to the north of

the borough and defends much of the existing

strategic gap. We do however recognise that

some development will occur to the west of

Grimsby and to the west of Humberston

Road. We will review settlement boundaries,

which will be identified at the next stage of

our Local Plan. This will take account of sites

identified for housing development.

We will need to monitor both housing completions

and jobs growth. If both are higher than anticipated

for three years consecutively, we will undertake a

review of the plan to allocate additional housing

sites, if appropriate. Our aim is to ensure that we

adequately meet our housing need.

There are significant benefits to health and

wellbeing from having well designed places

and buildings. Attractive, welcoming and safe

environments with proper provision for cyclists

and pedestrians encourage people to exercise

more. Good design improves the attractiveness

of a place, which in turn has a positive impact on

the rental and capital value of buildings. There are

established links between design excellence and

energy efficiency, reducing the impact on climate

change. For these reasons, achieving good

design is an important thrust of our plan.

Our cultural heritage needs to be conserved and

cherished in order that it can make a more positive

contribution to the borough’s future. Locally we

have a wealth of heritage assets; including 219

nationally listed buildings, such as the Grade

1 listed Dock Tower within the Port of Grimsby.

We will require development proposals which

have a potential impact on heritage assets to

include information and evidence which details

the asset’s significance and the development’s

impact. We will further develop and expand the

tools available to us such as conservation area

So that the growth we anticipate leaves a worthwhile legacy, the development

undertaken must be of a good design. Our Local Plan requires development

proposals to clearly demonstrate that they represent good design, and that they

fully satisfy, where applicable, local design guidance.

Housing

Places

13

appraisals, management plans and Article 4

Directions to safeguard the future of our heritage

assets. We will also take a positive and proactive

approach towards addressing the problems of

our heritage assets identified as ‘at risk’.

Our Local Plan recognises the need to offer

transport choices for the movement of people

and goods. We also want to maximise the

opportunities for people to use transport

alternatives such as walking, cycling and public

transport. Our aim is also to locate development

generating significant movements in locations

where the need to travel is less.

New development will, as a result, be required

to provide and implement long-term travel plans.

This will support more sustainable transport

choices. Development will also need to mitigate

any severe impacts from it on nearby roads so

that improvements can be made.

To ensure that our places can be better connected

we will safeguard the route of key transport

improvement projects.

Our Local Plan strongly promotes a ‘town

centre first’ approach in the consideration of

proposals for new development deemed as

appropriate to a town centre location.

We have three town centres in Grimsby,

Cleethorpes and Immingham.

It is important that new development and

investment, where possible, focuses on these

centres so that they continue to be at the heart

of our communities and successfully adapt to

changes in shopping patterns and habits.

The same is also true, though to a lesser extent,

of our local centres which meet day to day

shopping needs.

The borough includes many local centres which

meet many everyday shopping and other needs

for local communities. Within these centres new

small scale retail development will be permitted

provided that it is appropriate to the scale and

character of the area. To ensure that the local

centre and town centres are not undermined by

inappropriate development we will require an

impact assessment which will show that more

suitable town centre locations are not available.

We will define settlement boundaries outlining

our approach to development within and outside

these boundaries. Development proposals will

need to demonstrate their suitability, sustainability

and appropriateness to the site’s context and

Places

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Places

We will continue to plan, and enable, the

regeneration of communities and

neighbourhoods by creating

opportunities for improvement

and investment. Major

opportunities are

anticipated. For example,

following the possible

demolition of the residential

tower blocks and the continued improvements

along Freeman Street within East Marsh, there

is a real opportunity to regenerate a much wider

area. Furthermore, with the introduction of new

developments offering home ownership for local

people on low incomes, the dependency upon

low-cost, privately rented accommodation will be

reduced. This process would help families regain

ownership of their neighbourhoods.

The opportunities for community regeneration are significant. Indeed, we need to

ensure that local people are better skilled and able to take advantage of the employment

opportunities that are emerging and will grow in the future. Our longer term objective is to

rely less upon workers coming from outside the area to fill skilled jobs in the area. We are

working with a wide range of education and training providers to deliver new training facilities

and courses to support the growth industrial sectors. It is equally important for new industries

to employ local people as this reduces their costs and improves operational facility.

Stronger Communities

any important natural or historical features. They

must also show that traffic and servicing issues are

resolved and mitigated against, that impacts on

neighbouring uses, and vice versa, are appropriate

and that flood risk issues are addressed.

Where appropriate, development should contribute

to green infrastructure (green spaces). Our plan

recognises the multiple benefits that a network of

connected green spaces can have for ecology,

through mitigating the effects of climate change,

for health and wellbeing and for sporting and

social activities. Specifically, we accept the

necessity for Grimsby Town Football Club to find a

new home and its aspirations for a new stadium.

A site was allocated in the 2003 Local Plan

although unfortunately that proposal did not come

to fruition. We also recognise that the club’s

independent financial resources are insufficient

for it to realise its ambition. So, some enabling

development is required in order to support the

new stadium’s delivery.

However, we have not, in this consultation draft

Local Plan, identified a preferred approach to the

football stadium’s relocation. We will appraise

the available options once they are all known and

the packages of enabling development properly

understood. This is not the case currently and

as a result, we have been unable to identify a

preferred approach.

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As a consequence, we will support proposals for new renewable and low carbon energy generating systems, including district heat and power and community projects. Such projects also have wider environmental, community and economic benefits. We will take these wider factors fully into account in taking decisions on planning applications. We will also consider a project’s wider impact, for example in terms of highway and ecology issues.

Development proposals will further be required to demonstrate a commitment to minimising their carbon footprint through following the ‘sequential energy hierarchy’. Our plan promotes the implementation, first of all, of the most cost-efficient and effective means of achieving carbon saving. This entails reducing the demand for energy consumption through a building’s orientation, design, layout and other such cost-efficient and effective means. We will also require new development to connect to a district heating network, where it is available, or make provision for such a connection where a network is planned. In implementing these requirements we will have regard to their impact on a development’s viability and whether they are feasible because of the project’s particular circumstances.

To ensure that new development is located so as to minimise its risk from flooding we will apply the sequential risk-based approach to site selection, following national guidance. As a result, development will be directed to areas at least risk from flooding, unless there is an exceptional reason why this should not be so. Development proposals will be required to include comprehensive technical information to tell us about a site’s risk from flooding of all forms and that the development will be safe, for its lifetime. We will also require new development which generates surface water run-off to incorporate appropriate mitigation, including sustainable drainage systems. Proposals must also resolve the maintenance and management of the mitigation agreed, so that residents and businesses can be assured that agreed solutions will not fail.

Protecting mineral resources so that they are available to future generations is vital. They represent a finite resource. Minerals in North East Lincolnshire can support construction activities and industrial and manufacturing processes and are used in the generation of energy. Our Local Plan safeguards all mineral resources of local and national significance.

Climate Change

There is compelling evidence that human activity has resulted in

significant changes and altered global average temperatures by

increasing the concentration of greenhouse gases such as CO2,

methane and nitrous oxide. This has had a profound effect on weather

systems and sea levels. Climate change will have significant human,

environmental and economic consequences unless action is taken.

However, our Local Plan also recognises the opportunities that climate change

presents for our area; where we locate new development and how it is designed can

make a positive contribution to tackling climate change - specifically, through reducing

carbon dioxide emissions whilst also building in resilience to changing climatic conditions.

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Climate Change

This summary is only an overview of what our Local Plan contains. So, if you have an

interest in a particular topic it is advisable that you refer to the full Consultation Draft Local

Plan document. Further information and a copy of the Consultation Draft Local Plan can

be viewed online and downloaded at:

Links and contact details

Where can I find out more and get my views heard?

Our Local Planwww.nelincs.gov.uk/council/planning-policy/new-local-plan

Contact: newlocalplan@nelincs.gov.uk

01472 324272

Facebook: www.facebook.com/northeastlincolnshirecouncil

Twitter: @NELincs

www.nelincs.gov.uk/council/Planning-policy

We are seeking your views on the Consultation Draft Local Plan and welcome your

comments on all aspects of the document. This consultation period runs from 2 February

to 13 March 2015. Throughout the document a series of questions are asked to promote

discussion on the information presented. You do not have to answer every question.

You may find it easier and quicker to make comments via our online consultation portal at:

http://nelincs-consult.objective.co.uk/portal

Comments can also be made using the questionnaire.

Paper copies of the Consultation Draft Local Plan document and questionnaire are available

at the customer service desks in the Council’s main offices in Grimsby, Cleethorpes and

Immingham and all the Council’s public libraries, during their normal opening hours.

The questionnaire is also available to download from the online addresses provided above.

You can email the questionnaire to us at: newlocalplan@nelincs.gov.uk

or post it to us at: Local Plan, Origin One, 1 Origin Way, Grimsby, DN37 9TZ.

Your comments should be received by us by 5pm on Friday 13 March 2015.

Local PlanOrigin One

1 Origin Way

Grimsby

North East

Lincolnshire

DN37 9TZ